


begin again

by TheGalacticKitten



Series: ashes in the wind [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Background Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Benn Beckman, Different Devil Fruit Monkey D. Luffy, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Minor Original Character(s), Slow To Update, no beta we die like men, short first chapter, trans luffy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-10-07 13:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17366369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGalacticKitten/pseuds/TheGalacticKitten
Summary: All in all, it was absolutely mesmerizing.Perhaps that's why he got to his knees and made his way to it, fresh tears falling as he pulled shaking hands to touch it, wincing at a slight jolt that quickly turned to a warm hum throughout his body. Perhaps that's why he placed his forehead upon the tallest one, dripping snot and sweat and hot tears on the flawless creation of nature.Perhaps that's why, when he had the urge to ask for anything at all, he sobbed out what his heart wished for:"Let me start over again."





	1. you - keaton henson

**Author's Note:**

> this is COMPLETELY my own work; if there are any similarities to you or any others' works, I apologise. if I do draw inspiration from anyone else's works in the following chapters, I will say so in their summaries.
> 
> now that that's done, I hope you enjoy this reboot!

Monkey D. Luffy, holy terror of the East Blue first and the Grand Line second. The most dangerous enemy to the Marines, the one they failed to eliminate years before. The son of the now second most wanted man in the world.

The captain of a slaughtered crew and the brother to the murdered Sabo the Revolutionary and Fire-Fist Portgas D. Ace. The ally of the beheaded Red-Haired Shanks and the disowned grandson of former Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp.

And lastly, the new king of the pirates.

He trudged onto the shore, heart heavy and legs weighted down with dread. Blood covered his body; it wasn't all his. Half healed burns littered his skin, messily bandaged and inflamed from infection. Lacerations that had been left open were partially cleaned with sea water and seeping blood and pus.

The island was silent. No birds or insects could be heard within the sparse trees and patchy grasses. The clouds were rolling darkly across the open skies, looking as if they would let loose torrents of rain upon the somber figure and his meager boat.

Hiking up the gently rising hill, he limped soundlessly, broken and grieving even as he approached the finish line of the dream he'd chased since childhood, the dream he'd longed to achieve with his crew, his family. But there he walked the near barren land with no one by his side.

Mind drifting, he could almost hear Nami saying how she hoped the One Piece would be gold and silver and other valuables that Roger would have found on his journey, or how Franky and Usopp would hope for it to be inventions or mechanical parts to tinker with and learn about. Fondness washed over him as he continued onwards, nearing his final destination.

Nearing his only goal.

Nearing the end of his long journey.

Nearing the place only one crew of pirates have ever seen.

_Nearing the place his crew should have been able to see._

Tears pricked his eyes as the first drops of rain fell from the sky, as if the heavens were mourning with him. By the time he'd made it to the top of the hill, the drizzle had turned to a downpour, and he was standing before a steep-sided crater with something glinting in the very center.

Once he began trying to climb down, his feet slipped and, with the grace of a newborn kitten, he tumbled down the muddy slope. Gravel embedded itself in his skin and the force rubbed patches away, just deep enough to draw blood. He landed on his back, face to the sky. Droplets soaked his tattered clothes and bandages as they struck hard enough to sting.

Slowly he drew his hands before his face to study the scars and wounds and blood that seemed to stain them. Lightning cracked overhead and thunder roared as he let out a heart wrenching scream, the tears finally escaping after days of him holding them in.

Sobbing and yelling to the gods he'd lost faith in long before, he cursed their names and cursed their inability to protect the ones he'd loved with a much too open heart.

Begging for them to let him wake up from such an awful dream, for them to take it all back.

Lightning flashed again, but this time he could feel the heat and static off of it as it struck the object he'd came to investigate in he first place. It blinded him momentarily, leaving him blinking spots and forgotten tears from his eyes. Once they'd cleared, though, he was faced with a sight that confused him.

The object – he can now see it as some sort of golden crystal jutting up from a jagged crack in the ground – was sparking with light of all colors. It seemed to glow a soft yellow as well, however, it was hard to tell.

All in all, it was absolutely mesmerizing.

Perhaps that's why he got to his knees and made his way to it, fresh tears falling as he pulled shaking hands to touch it, wincing at a slight jolt that quickly turned to a warm hum throughout his body. Perhaps that's why he placed his forehead upon the tallest one, dripping snot and sweat and hot tears on the flawless creation of nature.

Perhaps that's why, when he had the urge to ask for anything at all, he sobbed out what his heart wished for:

_"Let me start over again."_


	2. clean eyes - syml

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the beginning of a wild adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ileanna is more of an oc than anything, but i don't have any current refs for her. i wanted him to be related to ace somehow, and i love the idea of their moms being sisters
> 
> he gets the ash-ash fruit btw !! he's doing his best
> 
> he can't explicitly remember his "first" life, but he will get deja vu kinda things when he gathers his crew (and meets his brothers) so he knows who to pick!
> 
> i changed when he met shanks, too, because where he'd eaten his fruit, it would've messed the timeline up a bit
> 
> also! i tried my best to write how a younger child would explain that they are trans. this is my first time writing on this edge of the spectrum, as im used to writing nb characters, so if you have any tips, feel free to comment!
> 
> now that that's done, let's get on with the chapter!

Darkness surrounded him on all sides and he was in an extremely small space, yet he felt safe and warm.

_Am I dead?_

"No, little one." A soothing female voice cooed from seemingly all directions. He thought he should be concerned, yet he felt no malice from the woman.

_Who are you?_

"No one you need to be wary of."

_Are you sure?_

She laughed an airy, love-filled laugh, and he could almost feel her smiling. "Yes, dearest. Now hush, you're making your grand entrance."

He almost asked what she meant when all around him, his prison tightened and he was being pushed out head-first. To put it lightly, it was uncomfortable, but soon it stopped momentarily. He was farther than he had been and cold air was now touching his scalp, making him try to squirm.

Again, he began being pushed out, and the cycle continued for what felt like ages before his entire head was out, cold air meeting his sensitive skin more than before, bright light filtering through his eyelids.

Another push, another movement, another patch of skin being exposed to a new environment. Finally, his body was freed and the goop and fluids were cleaned from his body, his nose, and his mouth.

 

* * *

 

"It's a little baby girl!" The doctor proclaimed as, with one last push, the child was born into the world. A woman watched with tired eyes as her husband hovered by her side, watching as the man cleaned their child before a piercing cry ripped through the air, the unmistakable pressure of Conquerer's lacing the tiny voice, startling the men. The mother, however, simply laughed and gestured for her child to be handed to her.

Once she held the bundle in her arms, a wave of protectiveness washed over her, motherly instincts screaming at her to keep her baby from harm. It passed the moment her husband laid a hand on her shoulder, a smile upon his face and a love in his eyes that she knew very well.

The parents, Monkey D. Dragon and Monkey D. Ileanna, formerly Portgas D. Ileanna, watched the little girl pull her hand to her mouth and stick her thumb out to suck on it. "She's beautiful." Ileanna breathed, tears glittering on her eyelashes, a smile upon her lips.

Dragon shifted beside her, his large hand too large to do anything but take a single finger and stroke the baby's cheek, earning a small grunt. "She looks just like you," he whispered, "that's why she's so beautiful."

Shaking her head at him, she laughed a gentle laugh, pulling the child closer to her chest. "Lucy." She grinned, shifting her gaze to her lover. "Her name is Monkey D. Lucy."

He met her eyes and nodded. "A perfect name for our small princess."

 

* * *

 

Time passed quickly, and soon enough, she was talking and walking much sooner than anyone had been anticipating. It was as if she'd already known how to do so; but that would be silly, there's no way for her to be able to do that, right?

Clumsily she would chase her mother in games of tag, giggling in a way only a child can. The Revolutionaries' base was her home. She would investigate and explore as she grew, finding friends to play with and learning all she could, being taught to read and write early on. She had a wiseness in her eyes; one of which was a warm chocolate brown while the other was a dark blue, though both had green speckles within them.

No one questioned it when she panicked at the sight of her friends and family injured, contributing it to her loving and protective nature. No one questioned it when she would hide in her room if meat was burnt, the odor of smoky flesh filling the kitchens and surrounding rooms, thinking that she simply wanted fresh air. No one questioned it once she began begging to learn how to fight, thinking it was just her wanting to be like her parents. No one question it when she refused to wear girl's clothes, only wearing t-shirts and shorts.

Her parents loved her all the same, though. They cared for her in a way that she always seemed surprised by, but she never complained and reciprocated it with no problem. She was taught to control the haki that she had been born with, mostly by her mother. She had patience in bounds for the small girl, never getting angry, only calmly explaining what she could do to make it easier.

Even her father trained her himself in his spare time, but he never gave her any special treatment; on the training field, she was another student, not his daughter. She appreciated it, and she made sure to show it in hugs and small treats she'd steal from the kitchen to share with him.

During meals, even as her parents tried to teach her to eat without making a mess, she would rip into her food like a starved beast. It made most who'd watch her cringe in disgust, but even as she aged, the mannerism stayed with her. Ileanna would laugh when she'd have food stolen from her plate, getting used to it in time, resorting to simply piling it higher and higher. Dragon, on the other hand, would smack her hands as they came too close – not hard enough to hurt, of course – and point to the food still on the table. He'd roll his eyes at the offended expression that would cross Lucy's face every time, and throw her a bit of his food.

When her seventh birthday came and gone, she approached her mother with a question she'd been afraid to ask.

She entered her room silently, tugging her mother's skirt gently to get her attention. "Momma?" She asked, softly, "momma, I gotta ask you something."

Ileanna's eyes widened at her tone and bent before her without hesitation. "Yes, love? What's wrong?" Worry was evident in her voice, but curiosity laid underneath it.

"Momma, would you still love me if I was a boy?" Lucy's tiny voice shook in the smallest of ways, eyes trained to the ground and little calloused fists gripping the bottom of her shirt tightly.

Shock and hurt flashed across Ileanna's face before she swept her daughter into her arms. "Of course, baby." She breathed, running her fingers through Lucy's hair. "I would love you no matter what; I would love you if you were a girl, a boy, or something in between, and I never want you to think otherwise." Her voice held a love in it strong enough that anyone around would have gotten chills, but it only sent a warm bolt through Lucy's chest.

As the first tears began to fall, she spoke in a scared voice. "I, I think I'm a boy in a little girl's body, momma. I don't – I don't feel right. Like this isn't my body."

"That's perfectly fine, babydoll. Do you have anything you'd like me to call you?"

"Luffy. My name... My name is Luffy."

"I'm proud of you, Luffy. You're so, _so_ brave, my precious baby boy."

 

* * *

 

Not much changed after, only that he began being referred to by the right name and pronouns. He was happy – he felt loved and safe, even moreso than usual, as no one had any problem with him being, well, him. Dresses and skirts were sold or traded for the clothes he would feel comfortable in, and his shoulder length, wavy hair was cut into a much shorter, curlier style. Every now and then someone would slip up, however, they would immediately apologise and correct themselves with no hesitation.

Life was wonderful for a little while. It had seemed like nothing could go wrong.

But, as these things go, everything would go wrong.

It was one of the times Luffy and Ileanna would accompany Dragon on his mission. Ileanna kept a close eye on her son as he ran, helping anyone he could and looking for new things to see. It was a relatively calm day, but the promise of a storm loomed in the horizon, making the navigator nervous, and Dragon somewhat worried. Luffy didn't seem to notice, though, as he chased and played on the deck.

A storage room door that would usually be closed and locked stood cracked open, and his curiosity drew him towards it. Carefully pushing it open, his eyes widened at the sight of weapons, precious metals, and a single, small bag off to the side. The bag was the only thing that truly interested him, though, and as he went over to it and peeked inside, he clapped giddily at the sight of a strange fruit. It looked like a large lemon with small, rounded, and swirled spikes on it. He poked it with a finger, seeing if it was soft, and brightened up when it was firm beneath his small hand.

Ileanna walked in the room as he took a bite, and her mouth falling open at the sight of her son with a devil fruit they'd stolen. " _Luffy!_ " She yelled, running over to him and scaring him into swallowing the bit he took, cringing as it went down his throat. "Why did you eat that? You don't know what it's going to do to you!" Panic swept over her as she checked him over, confusing him more.

"Momma, it was only gross tasting, it didn't hurt me!" Luffy tried reassuring her, only to be met with worried, scared eyes.

She shook her head and picked him up. "No, baby, that was a devil fruit – it'll make you have powers, but you won't be able to swim ever again." She rushed to Dragon's office, not bothering to knock as she barged in. Kuma sat across from Dragon and both of them turned to look at what caused the commotion.

Luffy, not understanding he did anything wrong, gave Dragon a smile. "Papa! I ate a weird fruit and momma said I'll have some _cool_ powers now!"

Both of the men's eyes widened at his words, eyes moving between the duo. " _How?_ " Dragon questioned, the word falling from his mouth before he could think better of it.

"Someone had left the storage room door open and he got in there! He already took a bite of it before I could stop him! I thought you said it would be put somewhere safe!" Ileanna raged, rushing to her husband and completely ignoring the guest. "Now he's not going to be able to swim and he's going to have to figure out how to handle new powers! The haki was hard enough for him to learn!"

Her son looked between his parents and the large man awkwardly sitting in the chair beside them. He waved and smiled in a friendly manner before letting out a scream at the sight of his hand and arm.

Instead of skin, his arm was covered in – no, _made up_ of glowing red ashes, similar to cigarette or cigar ashes. This drew his parents attention, and while Dragon jumped from his sitting position, making his chair clatter backwards, Ileanna sat Luffy on the ground, kneeling before him. Fearful tears leaked from his eyes as he watched the heat move in patterns as he seemed to drop ashes here and there. "The _Hai Hai no mi_ ," Kuma breathed. "Such a rare fruit for such a small being."

"Dragon, you have a devil fruit, help him control it!" Ileanna ordered, hands hovering over her child's skin, unsure of what to do.

Dragon moved from behind his desk to grip his son's shoulder gently, using his other hand to cup his cheek and wipe away a tear, causing him to look up into his eyes. "Take a deep breath, Luffy, you're okay. This might be scary, but it will be fine. Just breathe." His voice was low and warm, and after a while of their attempts, his skin returned to normal. "Are you okay?" Dragon questioned him softly, dark eyes filled with compassion for his small son. Receiving a nod, he wiped Luffy's eyes and moved so his mother could hold him.

Sniffling, the boy shoved his face into the crook of his mother's neck, hiding his face. "How are we going to help him control it?" She questioned, looking between the two devil fruit users. "No one I can think of has logia abilities."

"He'll likely have to learn on his own, though we could help him to an extent if he'd like."

Ileanna opened her mouth to speak when the door slammed open and the navigator burst in. "Dragon, sir! We're sailing right into the storm, and a whirlpool is forming right ahead of us! We can't avoid it!" He shouted, out of breath and panicking wildly. Dragon softly said _'shit'_ under his breath and rushed from the room, Kuma right behind him, while Luffy and Ileanna were left in the room.

Books fell from the shelves as the ship tilted, and she knew they likely weren't going to get out of the situation with the boat still in tact. So, she gently carried him to one of the empty barrels that sat just outside the room, putting him inside and giving him the hair ribbon she always tied her hair with. "You stay here, love, okay? We'll get you as soon as this nasty storm is over. If you get scared, hold my ribbon tight, and think of how much momma loves you, alright? Momma loves you a lot, never forget that, baby." She pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead as she put the lid back on, securing it tightly.

Luffy couldn't see anything that was happening, but he could hear shouts and wood splintering before the barrel he was in fell to it's side and began rolling, a hard jolt making him hit his head. Tears welled in his eyes and he held the ribbon close to his chest as chaos reigned around him.

He didn't understand what was happening; it was just a storm, and he was sure the whirlpool couldn't have been too bad. His papa could get them through anything. He began rolling again, this time in the opposite direction, before returning and hitting what he'd hit the first time, but this time he flipped over it and he could hear water rush around him, and soon, the noise had lulled him to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Luffy awoke to what felt like the barrel he was in being raised, before he was roughly dropped upside down, a faint whine escaping from him as he was righted.

Suddenly, the lid was opened, and, after recovering from the bright light that blinded him, he could see a confused man with vivid red hair and three scars across his eye.


	3. bad liar - imagine dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some "good" shanks n lu interactions, a very tired doctor, and some light angst

"You're not booze."

The red-haired pirate stared down at the child, head tilted to one side in confusion, before the barrel suddenly became filled with burning ashes, making him stumble backwards. Gentle sobs could be heard coming from the mess, and without warning, Shanks realized that the child had a devil fruit and had no control over it.

Carefully making his way back to the barrel, he peered over the edge, wincing when an ash drifted up onto his cheek. "Hey, kiddo, calm down, alright? We're not gonna hurt you – I don't think you'd let us hurt you, honestly – we're jus' some pirates who happened to come across you floating along!" Shanks grinned, unsure if he could be seen but trying to be supportive nonetheless. "Do you like pirates, kiddo? If you can turn back, we can tell you some stories and get you some food, okay?"

Sobs receding into sniffles, the ash began to slowly turn vaguely human shaped. "That's it, little buddy. Are you hurt anywhere?" The figure nodded slightly, bringing a small arm to rub the back of their head. "You hurt your head?" Another nod, and Shanks looked to Benn for help. Sure, he liked kids, but that didn't mean he knew how to handle an upset and hurt one!

"I'll get Satoshi, don't worry." Benn spoke quietly before walking off towards the infirmary, leaving his captain - his friend - to watch him with a betrayed expression on his face. He didn't know how to handle this! How could he leave him! The audacity!

Nervously glancing into the barrel once more, Shanks breathed a sigh of relief at the absence of ash, a small child with tear tracks and puffy eyes in it's place. He looked up with uncertainty in his eyes, watching every move the pirates surrounding him took. "Would you like me to lift you out of there?" Shanks questioned carefully, a gentle grin upon his face.

"Ye–yeah, please, mister pirate." The boy answered, standing on shaking legs and raising his hands above his head, indicating he was ready to be picked up. Shanks reached, gently grabbing him by the middle, and pulled him up and out before sitting him on the deck. "Thank you!" He cheered, more comfortable now that the man hadn't hurt him when shown weakness.

Shanks shook his head, smiling. "It's no problem, bud. What's your name? I'm Shanks!"

"I'm Luffy! I'm gonna be strong jus' like my mama and papa when I'm older!" The child, Luffy, responded loudly and cheerfully. "My mama and papa are the strongest!"

"Well then, Luffy, it's nice to meet ya! But I don't see how a shrimp like you is gonna be strong, let alone the strongest!" Shanks laughed, sitting down before Luffy, watching his reaction.

A look of pure offense crossed Luffy's face. "I know how to take big people down! Mama showed me how! And papa taught me how to fight! I'm strong!" He exclaimed, pouting, arms flailing.

Shanks laughed even harder, clapping his hands. "Sure you are, kid! I bet you could take down a ten year old with those muscles!"

In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have teased the kid as much, because after one good hit to the jewels, he believed every word. Luffy definitely packed a bigger punch than any other eight year old he'd met, and he was really regretting it when Satoshi and Benn walked out to find him doubled over, face against the deck, and hands holding his shattered treasures.

The crew were in tears, understandably, and Luffy was fuming as he paced in a small circle, ash dripping from him in small amounts, leaving little burn marks on the wood as they hit. Heat was rolling off of him in waves and soon enough he was scorching small footprints into the deck, shoes having been discarded in favor of comfort.

"Well, I think that you might need to be seen before the little one, Captain." Satoshi snickered, looking over the sight before him. Shanks wheezed out a reply that sounded something like "shut up" and "ice me" as Benn tried and failed to hold in his laughter.

Stopping in his tracks, Luffy looked up at the doctor, eyes shining as he took in his appearance. Standing at a measly 5'1, Satoshi had long, braided black hair that faded to brown, dark skin, electric blue eyes, and light colored freckles that dappled every exposed inch of his skin. Dual daggers hung at his hips and a necklace fell around his neck, a large tooth carved into a sea cat as its object of show. His loose fitting clothes moved smoothly with each step he took. Sleeveless shirt and capris showed off muscular arms and calves, and intricate woven sandals were on his feet.

He couldn't stop thinking about how much the doctor resembled a mix between his mother and father.

 

* * *

 

As Satoshi had walked out from his cabin, he wasn't prepared to see a fuming child burning the deck and for his captain to be face down, yelling profanities into the wood. He'd assumed the boy would be an easy case with his size, but his opinion shifted with the scene. "His name's Luffy," Yasopp whispered to him, "thought that might help ya out."

Nodding, he continued forth, an uneasiness boiling from the pit of his stomach as Luffy's eyes seemed to stare through to his soul. Swallowing down the feeling, he knelt in front of him, smiling as he did so. "Hi there, I'm Satoshi. You're Luffy, right?"

Receiving no response, he shifted a little before trying again. "Are you okay, little one? My name's Satoshi; yours is Luffy, yes?" Luffy blinked a few times before humming in confirmation. "Can you show me where you're hurt, Luffy?"

He brought a small hand up to the back of his head, rubbing a spot that had a bit of dried blood clumped in his hair. "Hurt my head when I rolled off papa's ship. Hit it a coupla times."

Running his hand over the site, Satoshi could feel a lump where he'd hit and a gash that had been caked with dried blood. He grimaced a bit before pulling his hand away, looking at Luffy again. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" Shaking his head in response, Luffy kept his eyes on the doctor. "Is there anything I should know about your health?"

"Um, mama says I have narle- norca- narcplesy!"

"Narcolepsy?"

"That! And papa said I got the... ash fruit? I think? The big bear guy called it the hi hi nommy!"

"The Hai Hai no mi? A devil fruit?"

"Yeah!"

That piqued his interest, but he'd save his questions for later on. "Is that it?"

Luffy nodded rapidly before a thoughtful look crossed his face. "I have a question for ya, mister." His voice was soft and he seemed almost embarrassed. Satoshi raised an eyebrow and hummed, bright eyes trained on the boy. "Are you related to my mama or papa? 'Cause you look like a neat mix of 'em!"

That was an odd question, but Satoshi supposed he'd heard worse. "I'm not sure, little one. Who are your mother and father?" He asked, gently smiling. He knew he wouldn't be, but what was the danger in learning a bit about the boy's family?

Face brightening considerably, Luffy began practically bouncing. "Mama and papa are awesome! They're super strong and mama is super pretty and papa is so cool! They're so good at fighting and papa is a good leader of my friends! Mama is still his boss even though he has so many people who listens to him!" He pumped his fist in the air and laughed. "I'm gonna be jus' like 'em!"

Huffing a laugh, Satoshi decided to rephrase his question. "What's your parents' names, Luffy?"

"Oh! Mama's is Ileanna and papa's is Dragon! We're the Monkeys!"

The result was almost instantaneous; the crew rioted, yelling and panicking over his parents, and Satoshi was left to try to comprehend what he just said.

"Your father is Dragon the Revolutionary?"

"Yup! He's so awesome! He helps me fight and he gives me some of his food!"

"Oh."

"I know! He's so cool, but mama's cooler! She was the one who taught me how to use my mystery powers!"

"Huh."

"I wonder when they're going to pick me up! I miss 'em! Can you call my papa so he knows where I'm at? I wanna tell him to hurry up because I miss him and mama!"

Bringing his hands to his face, Satoshi rubbed his cheeks as he processed all the information that had been shoved down his throat. Of course his captain would pull up the most wanted man's son from the ocean. Of course. Why wouldn't he. They're only the Red-Haired Pirates, why wouldn't this be put onto them?

Benn went to his side and patted his shoulder. "Alright, but let's get you checked out before we do anything, how about that? I can give you a piggyback ride if you'd like." He spoke calmly and kindly to Luffy, a gentle smile on his lips even as Luffy scrabbled onto his shoulders, humming a soft tune.

Following after a few moments, Satoshi decided that he couldn't change whatever was going to happen, so he may as well just do his job. Maybe he could steal Benn's share of booze the next time they have a party. He really hoped so, because he could already feel a headache coming on.

Once he entered the room, he went straight to collecting the things he'd need as Benn sat Luffy onto a cot, patting his head before heading back out on deck, likely to try to calm the chaos. He made a mental checklist for the medical supplies he'd need; scissors, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, ointment, and his sewing utensils in case they were needed.

While he'd been hoping the kid wouldn't be a crier, be could see he was sorely disappointed as fat tears and snot fell from Luffy's face as he worked. The gash had, unfortunately, been deep enough to warrant stitches, and Satoshi promised himself to never have kids due to the sheer temptation of punting the crying boy off the ship like a ball. But no, he's a patient as well as the son of one terrifying man, so he restrained himself from even making a smartass comment. Instead, he focused on the mental image of his captain holding his crotch and yelling into the worn wood, a small grin replacing his glare almost instantly.

Luck having been on his side, he was finished rather quickly, so he ushered the boy out for Benn to deal with him.

He deserved a nap after the bullshit he puts up with, and by god he wouldn't let anyone stop him after the chaos of the past hour.

 

* * *

 

The man who'd given Luffy a piggyback ride guided him into a little room with a den den mushi sitting on a table in front of a window that overlooked just above the water, droplets spraying onto the glass every now and then. It mesmerized him for a few moments before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing, and he rushed up on to the chair and hopped on the table, hands fumbling with calling the correct number.

It went through rather quickly, a voice he recognized as the bear guy's answering. "Who is this?"

A bad feeling began pooling in the bottom of Luffy's stomach, but he pushed it away quickly. "Hi, bear guy! Is mama or papa there for me to talk to?" He chirped, bouncing slightly.

"Little Monkey, is that you?" Surprise laced his words, as if he hadn't been expecting Luffy to call, but that would just be silly! He was taught to always call if he could after getting lost.

Responding with a nod, it took a moment before he corrected himself. "Yeah! Can I talk to mama or papa now? I miss 'em!"

The line was silent for several seconds before the voice leaked sounded through again. "Just wait a moment and I'll get your father, is that alright?" Luffy hummed his confirmation, legs kicking off the side of the table as he sat down to wait. "Your father is here, but he wishes to speak to whoever is in charge where you are."

Having the bad feeling intensified greatly at those words, he looked to Benn. "Mister piggyback, can you get Shanks? My papa wants to talk to him. I dunno why, though, 'cause I'm right here."

Something in his eyes changed ever so slightly as he turned and made his way out, quickly returning with a still red-faced Shanks. "Papa wants to talk to you, Shanks!" Luffy waved the microphone part before the captain took it in his hand. Shanks shooed Luffy and Benn out, and before he could complain, Benn had thrown him over his shoulder and made his way out of the room, closing the door.

"Hello?... Yeah, this is the captain, what're ya needing?" Luffy strained his ears to hear, wanting to know what was going on. "We're in the East Blue right now... You want us to drop him off at an island for you? Really?... Oh. I understand, gotcha... Alright, we can do that. I'll keep you updated on how he's getting along, don't worry. Bye."

The silence cut through Luffy like a knife, especially after learning he wouldn't be going back home soon. He couldn't even hear his father's voice, so that meant something happened, doesn't it? Tears welled in his heterochromatic eyes, quiet sniffles escaping as the first ones began falling down his tan cheeks.

He wanted his parents.


	4. i don't know my name - grace vanderwaal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angst and yasopp being a dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god, an update so close to the last will never happen again
> 
> anyway! give me more yasopp & lu bonding u cowards

Yasopp, having had his father senses screaming out alarm bells, went to check on the boy below deck. He knew that Benn and Shanks have the parenting abilities of a couple of tree trunks; Benn was better than his captain, but not by much, as they both get so confused by childish emotions. If they were to receive any kind of bad news, those emotions would erupt, and he knew that they'd probably call him down anyway.

Might as well beat them to the punch, honestly.

Only halfway down the ladder, he could hear violent sobs just a little ways down the hall. Of course his parent intuition wouldn't lead him wrong – he should know that by now. Without hesitation he leaped the rest of the way down and sprinted in the direction the noise was coming from.

Shanks' arms waving wildly were the first thing that caught his attention when Yasopp arrived at the scene, and soon after he noticed Benn looking as if he were ready to die right then and there, his eyes silently pleading for help as they made eye contact.

Luffy was dripping ash and a slight pressure of Conquerer's filled the area, making all three men's hair stand on end. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks, snot dripped from his nose, and he clutched a teal ribbon between his small hands as he curled in on himself.

Heart breaking ever so slightly, Yasopp walked over to him and sat down. "Hey, buddy. Is it okay if I hug you?" He used the voice he'd use with his son after he awoke from a nightmare, the tone soft and filled with a caring that he'd never use for anyone outside of a child. Benn and Shanks looked at him like he was insane, glancing between the hot ashes and the sharpshooter, and Yasopp only shrugged.

Once the words registered in Luffy's mind, he launched himself onto Yasopp, wailing and clutching him with a strength no child should be able to possess. He winced as the ashes burnt into his skin, but he wrapped his arms around the distraught boy nonetheless. He ran his fingers through his hair and held him close, resting his chin upon his head. Looking up to his captain, he raised an eyebrow and gestured to Luffy with his eyes.

A sadness filled Shanks' expression, shocking Yasopp, before he mouthed ' _his mom is gone'_ with guilt weighing his shoulders down.

 _Empathy is a bitch_ , Yasopp thought as a tear slipped down his own cheek. Luffy was so young to already have lost a parent; the heartbreak must be overwhelming for him, especially with how highly he seemed to regard her. ' _Is his father coming?_ ' Yasopp mouthed back, receiving a shake of a head from Shanks.

' _Dropping him off to his grandfather_.' He mouthed in response.

Fury and sadness coursed through him as he held Luffy tighter, ignoring the pain of his burns and whispering stories in a gentle voice until sobs turned to hiccups and wails turned to whimpers. The ashes were gone and so were Shanks and Benn, the hours that passed were agonizing and they had their own things to do.

"How are you doing, bud?" He asked, pushing Luffy's bangs back from his forehead.

Shakily taking in a breath, he looked up to his face. "I want my mama and papa, but mama is gone and papa doesn't want me anymore." He wiped his eyes with his hand. "My heart hurts and I don't know how to fix it, 'cause mama isn't here to kiss it better."

A tear slipped down his cheek and Yasopp wiped it away carefully. "You'll hurt for a long time and it won't go away completely, but you'll find people to love that will love you just as much as your mama did. Your papa is hurting; that's the only reason he's not getting you now. He doesn't want you to know he's hurt, so he's sending you where you'll be safe, okay?"

Nodding, Luffy pushed away so he could see Yasopp's face. He took his face in his hands and pulled his head down enough to give him a little peck on the forehead. "You're not mama or papa, but I'm claiming you as m' second papa, 'cause you're not friend. You're more family."

That shocked a laugh out of the man, and he pulled Luffy into a hug. "Well then! I can be your second papa, little buddy! My son'll be your brother!" He let go just to see his reaction.

His eyes were wide with wonder as he looked at the man. "Brother?" A nod. "I didn't know I'd have a brother! That's cool!"

Yasopp went on to tell him about his blood related son, glad to have been able to distract him from his hurt for a little bit.

 

* * *

 

They had dinner in Yasopp's cabin upon Luffy's request, not ready to face the rest of the crew, as well as still trying to wrap his head around everything that had disrupted his life.

He fell asleep rather quickly after getting full, and Yasopp had the chance to get his burns looked at, considering that they were rather painful and he doubted Satoshi would be very pleased if he waited any longer.

So, as soon as he walked into the sickbay, he was met with the resident doctor giving him an exasperated look, supplies already laid out and ready. "You best be thanking Benn for explaining everything before you decided to drag your ass up here, or you'd be getting an earful. Now, sit down and take your shirt and pants off so I can check you over, mister 'gotta adopt every distressed child into this hellish family.'"

Cringing, he pulled his clothes off, trying to avoid looking at the damage he'd brought upon himself by having too big of a heart. The muttered insults from the short doctor were enough to confirm that they were fairly bad, and the pain as he worked confirmed it a second time.

"It's most likely going to scar, I hope you know," Satoshi growled bitterly, "all because you're too weak for children. Really, _what_ were you thinking?"

Yasopp shrugged, wincing from the movement. "I don't regret it."

The doctor took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "Of course you don't. Just avoid it in the future. I don't want to deal with you in here every time the brat gets upset."

"I know, I know. But you know you like him!"

"I would rather chop my own fingers off than spend more time than necessary with him."

"That's not very nice!"

"Huh. I'm not very nice."

Rolling his eyes, Yasopp looked through the window on the door, eyes drawn to the sunset. He'd have to remember it so he could paint it; its vibrant colors and the texture of the clouds would make it a fun project. They sat in silence for the rest of the time Satoshi worked on him, only muttering a few choice words here and there.

The moment he'd finished up, Satoshi kicked him out, ordering him to get rest and to avoid doing anything dumb.

Benn caught him as he passed his and Shanks' room, stopping him with a tap to the shoulder. "The boy alright?"

Yasopp nodded. "Yeah, he tired himself out. He's still trying to come to terms with everything, I think."

Sighing, Benn waved him into the room as he turned and walked inside. "Close the door, will you? I can hear the crew even more than usual." Shanks muttered from where he laid facedown on the bed.

Closing the door gently behind him, Yasopp looked around in time to see Benn pick Shanks up by the armpits like a cat and lay him at the foot of the bed so he'd be able to sit with him. "Sorry about him, he's feeling bad about being the one to tell the kid what was going on." The first mate apologized, smiling gently. "But I was just wanting to know if you had any updates with him. Shanks is too much of a coward to ask."

Sputtering, the redhead shot up, dragging his first mate into a noogie while the sharpshooter laughed. "I am _not_ a coward, you're just being _mean_!" Shanks yelled, face bright red. "I don't even _care_ about the kid!" He added quickly.

Throwing him off with practiced ease, Benn quickly positioned himself to be sitting on his stomach before looking to Yasopp expectantly. "He's really hurt by all this, honestly. He seemed to be especially close to his mom, but having his dad ditch him was a fairly low blow. It's gonna take a while, but I think he'll be okay."

Benn looked down to his captain for a moment before looking back up to him. "Does he have any hard feelings towards Shanks?"

Rolling his eyes, Yasopp looked at the pouting man. "Nah, he'd probably like both of you a lot once he gets to feeling up to seeing you!"

Relief was instantaneous in the way Shanks relaxed, obvious he hadn't tried to hide it. "Thank you, now go get some rest. Satoshi is already mad enough; don't give him any more reasons." Benn laughed, eyes shutting in the way you could tell he was genuinely happy.

 

* * *

 

_White surrounded him on all sides._

_Luffy stood, blinking back the sheer brightness of it. Where was he?_

_Glancing around a little more, he heard footsteps coming from behind him, and he whirled around to see who it was._

_His heart felt like it skipped a beat as he saw his mother, her eyes a blank white like the area around them. A sadness was present in her form – she carried herself with the pain of loss, a pain he was being introduced to way too early in his life._

_She had tears in her eyes, and they glowed like fresh embers as they fell, her arms opening as she dropped to her knees before him._

_"Come here, baby." Her voice was filled with love and pure anguish, and he didn't hesitate as he launched himself at her._

_Crying, he breathed in her scent, and sank into her embrace. "Mama, I miss you," he breathed, "please come back, I need you!"_

_With a shake of her head, she pulled away from him, her tears never slowing. "No, baby," she said, "no, you don't need me. You're strong, and I'm so, so proud of you." She took her hand – cold, dead – and caressed his cheek, wiping a tear away gently._

_A sob escaped his small form as he watched her, trying to memorize her appearance. He didn't want to let her go. "I love you. You're going to do great things, I can see it. I'll be right by your side at all times, even if you can't see me. I love you. I love you so much." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, and a shock rippled through his body, eyes widening._

_"Take the world by storm, my love. Let your name be known."_


	5. the weight of us - sanders bohlke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more angst, but it's uncle Shanks' time 2 shine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this i made it so Yasopp's cabin is directly below Shanks n Benn's;; the galley is farther away and almost always extremely loud, and that's where Yasopp headed before going to bed. Benn didn't go with shanks to check on Luffy bc he was afraid that two people would worsen his panic. he also waited a while to tell Yasopp bc he didn't want him to go barging in and scaring them
> 
> i also hc Lucky Roo to b one of the cooks ghghgh

Waking up with a start, Luffy stumbled off the bed and to the nearest corner of the small room, tears falling from his eyes as he trembled, curling in on himself as tightly as he could. He gripped his hair with shaking fists, face hidden in his knees, seemingly unable to catch his breath. Seeing his mom like that – feeling her touch, breathing in her scent – being so close – seeing her blank, dead _dead **dead**_ eyes broke something in him, and it hurt. It hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced.

Trembling worsening, he coughed and gasped, sobs wracking his small frame. It couldn't be real, but he knows it was and he hated it with every inch of his being.

Grief ripped a yell from his throat, his voice cracking and hoarse from crying earlier on but loud enough to echo against the wooden walls. He could never see his mother alive and well again. He could never be held in her strong, steady arms again. He could never hear her gentle voice, see her soft smiles, or experience her love ever again.

Never again would he be able to tell her how much he loves her.

Shaking his head, he yelled and cried and wailed like the mourning child he was, unable to focus on anything other than the image of his mother saying her goodbyes.

 

* * *

 

Shanks had just began dozing off when a pained scream ripped through the walls, haki shooting through him in a way he was unfamiliar with. He was on his feet and running before his mind had even registered that he was moving.

Another rang through the air, and he realized they were coming from Yasopp's quarters, which meant that it was likely the kid. Honestly, that wasn't very comforting. Luffy was going through shit he could only slightly relate to; he never had parents that he could remember, though he'd considered Roger his father. It was painful – he couldn't begin to imagine how losing one's _actual_ parent would feel like.

Reaching his destination, he threw the door open without hesitation and frantically searched the room with his gaze. It only took a few seconds before his eyes landed on the huddled shape in the corner and he was kneeling before him, hands outstretched but not touching him.

"Hey, hey, buddy?" Shanks whispered, hardly loud enough to be heard, but Luffy seemed to jump from his voice anyway. "I'm gonna touch you, okay? I'm not going to hurt you." Getting no response, he gently laid a hand on his shoulder, thumb rubbing what he hoped to be comforting circles.

It hurt to feel and see how badly the child was shaking; he was having an anxiety attack, and an exceptionally bad one at that, and all Shanks knew to do was provide a touch to ground him with. That's what he'd always needed for those first few years when he and Buggy were on their own, drinking away their losses and dealing with an emotional trauma greater than their own goals back then, never expecting to make it to their twenties.

But he would _not_ let Luffy go down that same path.

"I'm here, alright? I'm here for you, kiddo. Take your time, I won't leave your side. I won't go anywhere unless you ask me to. Would you wanna hear some stories from when I was jus' a little cabin boy?"

Again, he received no answer, but he began talking about how he first joined the crew, how he and Buggy became rivals – and friends, no matter how much Buggy would hate to admit it – and all the trouble they'd gotten into, how he'd constantly manage to mess things up, anything and everything he could think of until he noticed puffy and bloodshot eyes staring at him in wonder.

A grin crossed his face as soon as he saw Luffy's eyes. "You like hearing about pirates, don't ya, kiddo?" Shanks questioned, voice even and soft. A laugh escaped him when Luffy nodded repeatedly; he hadn't expected such a reaction so quickly. "You wanna talk about why you were down here crying so much? You can sit up here on my lap if you do, 'cause I'm sure it'd be much nicer to be held than to just sit in that dirty old corner. I can tell you even more stories after that, if you want."

A look of anxiety and grief filled his little face, but he nodded and carefully climbed on Shanks' lap, leaning his head on the man's chest and listening to his heartbeat for a few moments before speaking. "My mama, she's really gone," Luffy breathed, bringing a hand up to his eyes, "she came an' said bye in my dream." While he hadn't heard of anyone experiencing such a thing, Shanks didn't doubt him, only nodding and rubbing a hand up and down his back. "I could feel her, and see her, and hear her, and it was all real and I never told her how _much_ I love her."

 _Nope_ , Shanks thought, _not gonna let this kid be alone in this._ Without warning, he pulled Luffy into a tight hug, burying his face in his messy hair and drawing his legs up to guard him in all directions. "I'm sure she knows how much you love her, kiddo. I'm sure you didn't have to tell her for her to know." He soothed, breath ruffling Luffy's hair. "You show your love in different ways; you don't just have to show it in words. You show it in your eyes, in your actions, in your expressions, lotsa different things, so don't worry, okay? She knows."

Small hands wrapped around his neck and a teary face pressed into his chest. "Thank you," Luffy whispered, "thank you so much."

Smiling, Shanks held him closer, a burning protectiveness roaring through his veins. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. Now, how about some more stories?"

 

* * *

 

Yasopp returned to his cabin, following Benn, having had the situation explained. The scent of burnt wood drifted throughout the lower portions of the ship; it wasn't exceptionally strong, so they doubted that any major damage had been dealt, but worries still drifted through their minds as they opened the door.

At first they'd seen no one, then their eyes landed on the sleeping forms of Shanks and Luffy, sitting against the wall, Luffy resting safely in the Captain's arms. Benn looked to Yasopp with a grin upon his face. "Looks like you have competition, _"second papa."_ "

 

* * *

 

Waking slowly, Luffy noted how warm and comfortable he was, even though he'd been sitting up. He rubbed his tired eyes and yawned, stretching out and tumbling backwards onto the floor with a grunt. Laughter erupted from his bed – _wait, what?_

Now completely awake, he scrambled backwards and looked to see why his bed was laughing. He relaxed as soon as he saw it was Shanks, and all of last night flashed through his head. A bright smile and warm eyes met his own, and he cracked a small smile in return, opting to wave instead of trying to speak.

"Mornin', Anchor!" Shanks chirped cheerfully, stretching until his joints popped. He clumsily clambered to his feet before offering a hand to Luffy, who took it after a moment's pause. He wobbled for a moment before regaining his balance, gaze never leaving Shanks' face.

"Why am I Anchor?" Luffy questioned, eyebrow raised and hand still holding Shanks'. "An' can we get some food? I'm _hungry_."

Chuckling, Shanks used his other hand to ruffle his hair. "'Cause you'll sink like an anchor! And we can definitely get ya some food, kiddo! This way!" He began walking in small steps, Luffy following, bitterly disputing that he didn't need to swim to be strong.

They gently bickered back and forth all the way to the galley, Luffy gesturing wildly with one hand while he kept ahold of Shanks' hand in a rather sweaty death grip, showing his anxiety about meeting the others in the crew.

However, as soon as he caught scent of fresh food, his hunger caught up to him and he threw himself at the nearest table, snatching up as much food as possible and stuffing his face. Shanks was left in the dust, eyes wide.

Yasopp and Benn, who were a few tables over, burst into laughter at the sight. He was an absolute menace when it came to his level of food intake and it shocked them, especially since Luffy had been so subdued over dinner the night before. Their laughter increased as they watched Shanks try to snatch some food from before him, only to be bitten in response.

Shanks shrieked, likely in both pain and surprise, jerking his hand back. "What the _hell_!" His voice had risen a few octaves and his eyes were blown wide. A look of determination crossed his face after he'd recovered, and he threw himself into the mess that Luffy was creating.

He escaped with a few pieces of bacon and two more bite marks, but he was proud to be victorious nonetheless. Benn waved him over as soon as he saw his attention drift over his way, and he cheerfully walked over with a bounce in his step. "Good morning, love!" Shanks pressed a quick kiss to Benn's cheek. "Morning, Yasopp!" He chirped, waving as he sat down, grabbing a biscuit and shoveling eggs and bacon onto a plate, mouth watering at the smell.

The three watched Luffy as he never slowed down, shoveling more food into his tiny body than they thought would be possible, Lucky Roo sitting more plates on the table in front of him as he ate his own meat. Luffy looked up at him as if he were a god when he sat the first plate down, eyes shining and he offered a piece of bacon from it in return.

That shocked the onlookers, but no one commented on it; Lucky gave him a grin and took it before ruffling his hair, promising him as much food as he wanted. Luffy thanked him profusely before going back to eating, eating a few more plates before suddenly falling forward, face smacking against the table with a loud thud. Satoshi, having been eating at the table farthest from the little devil, casually walked over to make sure he wasn't dead.

After checking Luffy over for injuries, he just shrugged. "Guess he wasn't lying about his narcolepsy. Most he'll have is a nasty bruise and a possible headache after he wakes up."

Shanks and Yasopp both let out sighs of relief while Benn just pinched the bridge of his nose. He was too old to deal with kids that pass out at random intervals, and none of their hearts would be the same after having to take care of him until they reach Fuusha.

They're going to miss the kid, though.


	6. harmony hall - vampire weekend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fairly soft chapter, very Shanks-centric at some parts, includes some pretty strong language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple fics I've read – mostly Watashitachi wa Roger Kaizoku desu (we still stand proud) by Stereden on here, check it out my dudes – have included pirate Rouge and lemme tell u, I am WEAK for it so I went for it
> 
> Also, her crew's name isn't just a coincidence :^)
> 
> I'm still doing my best on how to write ftm transgender people, but if you have any suggestions on how to improve it or change it, I'd appreciate it!

When he woke up, he found himself tucked into a comfortable bed, dried drool in a track on the side of his mouth. For a single – mostly asleep – moment, he thought that his mother had tucked him in after one of his episodes and expected her to be by his side, a loving smile on her lips and a hand running gently through his hair, whispering a loving "good morning, sleeping beauty" before they both began laughing. Then the present's truth hit him in the gut with a metaphorical bat, and he realized that it was likely Yasopp or Shanks put him to bed after one of his episodes, and that his mother was still gone.

Quickly bringing his hands to his eyes, he wiped away the tears that were forming, and shook his head to clear it of the negative thoughts. Sunlight still filtered through the cabin's window, slightly brighter than it was when he was eating his breakfast, so it was probably just a short attack. He hoped so, because he didn't want to have missed any meals.

Small feet being thrown over the edge of the bed, he looked to the door, waiting for a moment to see if anyone was on their way in. When no sign of another person entering had shown itself, he hopped down and carefully opened the door, looking this way and that as if he were doing something bad. When he'd accepted that the coast was clear, he quickly sprinted to the ladder leading to the top deck. He climbed the small steps with a carefulness he had rarely shown in his short life and stuck his head up to look around once he'd reached the top.

Eyes landing on Shanks, Benn, Lucky Roo, and Yasopp, his expression brightened and his determination got the better of him, throwing his carefulness out of the window and bringing carelessness in with open arms as he stumbled onto the deck, sprinting over to the men with arms open.

Shanks and Yasopp were the first to notice, jumping up and staring at the child running to them, while Lucky Roo and Benn snickered at them from behind their hands. "Papa two! Uncle!" Luffy's voice echoed across the deck, drawing everyone's attention to him. He was so preoccupied by his primary goal that he only realized that he'd tripped over his own feet once his face met the wood.

Laying facedown for a moment before sitting up, he put a hand to his face and just sighed in defeat as he saw it come away with blood on it. The space where his tooth used to be seemingly left a chasm in his mouth and his nose throbbed, but it was little more than an annoyance as he stood, brushing the dust off his clothes and holding a hand to cover the mess on his face. "Where's old man doctor?" Luffy asked, voice partially muffled as he looked around.

Yasopp leaped over the table and Shanks climbed over Benn as they rushed to the boy, voices panicked and high pitched. Luffy didn't understand what the big deal was; it was a maybe broken nose and a missing tooth, what's the big deal? "Shit, hell, _shit_ – get Satoshi, you _numbskull_!" Shanks hollered to Yasopp, hands hovering over the boy's shoulders as if he was afraid to touch him on the off chance that he were to break like glass under his touch while Yasopp stumbled a bit, rushing to the infirmary and dragging a complaining Satoshi behind him.

"Really, this is _it_? The kid's not even _crying_ ," Satoshi huffed. "Jus' a knocked out tooth and a possibly fractured nose, but if it is it's only a clean hairline fracture, so nothing could be done." He stood, rolling his eyes at the two grown-ass men fussing over the clearly annoyed child like mother hens. "Give him a bag of ice if he wants it and give him a bath; the blood won't wash off by itself, and he doesn't need to risk drowning by himself."

Nodding repeatedly, Shanks picked Luffy up (ignoring the insults and complaints, of course) and made his way to the washroom, Yasopp following, fussing over how he would need clean new clothes but they had none so he'd have to wear one of their shirts as a nightgown. That earned the man an extremely angry glare and a snarled ' _no_ ' thrown his way, the blood making Luffy's expression all the more dark.

Blowing in his ear, Shanks got his attention. "It'll only be until we can dock at an island, kiddo." He soothed, though it did little to ease the boy, it seemed to quiet him down for the rest of the walk. Halfway through, Yasopp had left to grab the smallest shirt he could and sash so they could make him some makeshift underwear, as uncomfortable as it would be.

Peeling his completely ruined shirt off, he paused when he looked between his pants and Shanks. Anxiety wormed its way into his throat as he got up the courage to gently tap on the man's leg, eyebrows furrowed as he watched him work on preparing the bath. It took a few more tries before Shanks' attention finally landed on him, and his eyebrow raised in questioning. "Uncle Shanks, I don't got a peepee like a boy, but I'm still a boy! I'm. I'm still a boy, okay?"

With no hesitation whatsoever, Shanks nodded with a laugh. "Don't worry kid, I went through the same thing! You don't gotta be born with a dick – shit, a, uh, _peepee_ like a boy to be one, alright? Don't be ashamed of who you are! I was lucky enough to get rid of my top and trade my bottom in for the right one when I was young. We might not've been born with the right bits, but don't let it stop you from being yourself!" With a smile like the sun, he spread his shirt and showed Luffy the faded scars under his pecs, unnoticeable to any who weren't looking for them.

With stars in his teary eyes, Luffy shed his pants and jumped into the warm bath with a whoop.

 

* * *

 

It took a long while to get his hair and body cleaned thoroughly, but once they were done, he looked much neater. They could also see how his hair flew around in wild curls, a red tint to it when the light hit it. The smell of fresh ash and an unnatural heat still clung with him, but Luffy didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he showed no signs of caring as he stood proudly in his makeshift clothes.

"I'm a real pirate now!" He loudly proclaimed, hands on his hips and staring up at Yasopp and Shanks; the former looked beyond proud while the latter burst into laughter, tears coming to the corners of his eyes as he doubled over, clutching his stomach. Understandably, that made Luffy mad, but he kept his composure.

Well, for a moment at least, before he met Shanks' eyes and took a deep breath. "You're just a bitch-ass, no-good, pubic hair faced _bastard_!" Luffy yelled at the top of his lungs, middle fingers up and tongue stuck out blowing a raspberry.

Needless to say, all who heard him were either horrified, extremely amused, or a mix of both. Shanks, personally, was shocked into silence as he stared with his mouth open dumbly. However, Yasopp looked as if he'd sentenced him to death, hands covering his mouth and eyes blown wide.

Luffy just stood there looking smug as he took in their reactions, a shit eating grin upon his face. "See? Mama told me thas how pirates speak, she said that uncle used to talk like that when he was wantin' to annoy her or auntie! But she said that I shouldn't say stuff like that. Oops."

For a single moment, he looked depressed at the thought of his mother, then he looked back to the men and burst out laughing – less enthusiastically, but if they noticed it, they didn't say anything – at how they opened and closed their mouths like fish, trying to form words but no sound was coming out. It went on for a few moments before Yasopp held his head in his hands and Shanks touched his facial hair insecurely.

"That wasn't very nice, Anchor!" Shanks whined, flicking Luffy in the forehead, causing him to pout. "I would hate to meet your uncle if he had a mouth like that! Though my old captain did the same thing to the doc and Rayleigh and – wait," he paused, a pleading in his eyes as he looked into Luffy's eyes, "who is your uncle and aunt?"

"Oh! They were uncle Roger and auntie Rouge! They passed away before I was born, though. Uncle was taken by the government for being too cool and auntie had trouble havin' my cousin. Never met him either. He'd be a couple years older than me!"

Oh. That makes sense. Too much sense, actually. No wonder the kid was the way he was if he has either's blood running through his veins. Well. That's a fun realization.

"You blood related to your uncle or your aunt?" Shanks asked, curious.

"Oh! Mama's big sister was auntie Rouge!"

Well. Okay. Alright. Not what he was hoping for, but that makes even more sense. Of course this little asshole would be related to the devil that was Portgas D. Rouge. The woman was a human wildfire, burning through the hearts and pockets of those who fell for her until she met the sea, who stopped her in her tracks, but never tamed her.

She had been feared in South Blue; captain of the Spade pirates, often being called the Queen of Spades due to her large crew being made up completely of young women who would most often catch the eyes of men and get whatever they wished for, and for that they gained a fortune.

But on one run in with them just around two years before Gol D. Roger's execution, he seemed to draw her in for whatever reason. Certainly wasn't his looks – that nose-stache _really_ didn't do anything for him, but the wild beauty joined forces with him, and on board the Oro Jackson, it became hell as soon as a disagreement happened.

Women are always right. Women are _always_ right, don't test them, especially when they can kill a man three times their size and not bat an eye.

Though he _does_ remember a girl a few years older than himself who had wild fiery red hair and a personality to match, who would tease him and Buggy relentlessly but would defend them to anyone else. She was like the older sister he'd never had; her temper raged like Rouge's own, but she never tried to control it once she was fired up, especially when it came to the boys.

 _Her_ boys, as she would call them.

The three were close-knit, even moreso after Buggy had eaten his devil fruit and he became angrier towards Shanks. She had been the glue that had held them together before the boys ran to alcohol to erase the memories of watching their captain, their _father figure_ killed before them.

Roger was selfish in a selfless way.

The one time he'd ran into Monkey D. Dragon when he'd started collecting his own crew, a woman with long curls of dark, ginger hair stood beside him, dark eyes sharp and watching every move he'd made, stance showing the power she held. She'd been more intimidating than the man, drawing an apology and a promise to leave from his lips without a single word. She made the leader of the Revolutionaries look weak.

Of course, she was the man's wife, so what did he expect? The queen had to be just as powerful as the king, and he should have figured that out from when Rouge stood on equal ground with Roger towards the end of their journey.

Portgas D. Rouge was the mother he never had, while Portgas D. Ileanna was the older sister he'd needed.

 

* * *

 

Yasopp waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his memories. Luffy was staring at him with his head cocked to the side and light concern in his eyes.

Smiling, he looked between the two. "So, who wants lunch?"


	7. pirate lullaby - the whiskey bards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> uncle Shanks? ya
> 
> kinda angsty & definitely dialogue heavy (especially at the end) but I kinda like this so uhhh,,,,, yeah please enjoy ! thank u for reading y'all !

The day passed quickly, all laughter and chasing and eating (and napping, but no one needs to know, 'specially not Benn) taking up the daylight hours quickly, and soon the sun had fallen, tucked under the blanket of the sea. The moon may have risen if it was possible to see it – the new moon had rolled around, leaving the skies darkened except for the pinpricks of light that shone across the endless expanse, reflecting in the calm waters of the East Blue.

Other than a few who were still in the galley and the watchman, all were in their cabins.

Shanks sat staring at the night sky through the little window that overlooked the sea, Benn curled in their bed, fast asleep. Forgotten memories of a boisterous redhead kept him awake, nostalgia bittersweet within his mind. Years of trying to move on from the death of his captain were useless with the new knowledge that Rouge, the pirate queen, his almost-mother was dead along with his old friend, and he never got to say goodbye to either.

He was contemplating crawling into bed with his husband when he caught the quiet lyrics of a song he hadn't heard since he was a little cabin boy. His hearing may be less than stellar, but he would recognize that song anywhere; it was the one Rouge would sing to him and Buggy to get them to sleep during storms and no one wanted them to run underfoot, especially since Buggy had a devil fruit.

" _Sleep bonnie pirate laddie, while the waves they roll, sleep bonnie pirate laddie, ocean breezes blow,_ " the soft, childish voice drifted in through the cracked door as Shanks made his way to investigate, noting that Yasopp's door had been left open a bit – while it wasn't _unusual_ for him to keep his door open partially, he preferred to keep it completely closed while Luffy was there, as to hear if someone came in. " _Feel the ship rock to an' fro, hear wind through riggin' sigh,_

 _"The gentle ocean sounds below, a pirate lullaby._ " Shanks made his way slowly to the source of the song, more memories being dragged from the depths of his mind. Memories of going into a cyclone, the rest of the crew scrambling around the deck to keep the ship from being destroyed, of being sent to the cabin with his sort of brother and sort of sister, Rouge coming down with them to keep them calm, pulling them into a warm and safe embrace, her loving voice drifting above the sounds of creaking wood and water crashing against the sides of the ship.

Memories of being caught in an Aqua Laguna with waves several times larger than the Oro Jackson, once again being thrown to the cabin so as to not get underfoot, Buggy clinging to hope that they'll avoid death again, Rouge making her way below to comfort them with her song, the lyrics enough to ease their anxieties and lull them to sleep.

Memories of the aftermath of one of the many battles in which the boys were dragged into, both sitting together with backs touching in an empty storage room, his friend wailing from pent up fear and anger while he silently cried, arms hiding his face as his wounds burned and ached, Ileanna glancing at them after searching for minutes upon minutes before rushing off to get Rouge, of his mother figure patching their wounds and comforting them, gentle hands and the gentle sound of her just barely singing above a whisper slowly calming them.

And now, _now_ he stands behind the boy he can now see is _so_ much older than the body he is in, the heaviness of grief upon his shoulders and head tipped to look to the stars, their light reflecting softly off the tears that made their way slowly downwards to drip onto the figurehead on which he sat. The air seemed to hang with a heaviness as his voice carried on the wind, gently shaking. " _Storms rise 'pon the seas as the clouds darken up high,_

 _"See the sails begin to stretch, as winds fall fr'm the sky,_ " Luffy paused, as if thinking over the words, before continuing. " _Waves roll an' toss the ship, roughly from side t' side, taste the salt upon your lips from the fury of the tide,_

 _"Grab the hatches, batten down as waves they crest the bow, main sail furl, secure the deck else ev'ry man might._.. Might drown." Luffy's little voice cracked as he pulled his knees to his chest, still staring up to the sky, as if willing his mother to come down from the heavens and rejoin him by his side. His shoulders trembled but he made no noise to indicate that his tears had increased in their frequency as Shanks slowly made his way to where he'd seated himself, leaning against it.

" _Drop the anchor, ride the storm, and pray with all your might_." Luffy startled, whirling around with wide eyes still filled with tears, easing ever so slightly when he saw it was Shanks. " _Feel thunder clap and racing heart, as you struggle for your life_." Shanks' voice drifted across the deck as he heaved himself up to sit beside his small ward, staring up to the sky, pretending not to pay attention to his tears.

"Sleep... _Sleep bonnie pirate laddie, while th' waves they roll_." Luffy hesitantly begin, eyeing Shanks nervously; the pirate offered a smile before returning to face the stars.

" _Sleep bonnie pirate laddie, ocean breezes blow,_ " the deeper and higher voices blended decently, the latter still hesitant, but lesser so. " _Feel the ship rock to an' fro, hear wind through riggin' sigh, the gentle ocean sounds below, a pirate lullaby,_

_"Storm doth wane an' fade away, as clouds drift off with sighs, see on high, the azure hue, of gentle sof' blue skies, waves fall an' calm goes all, the sea now lightly rolls,_

_"Taste the tang of sea an' sweat, as salt winds gently blow._ "

 

* * *

 

Luffy didn't know why Shanks came to sit with him. He didn't know why he sang with him, who he looked for in the stars, what made his heart cry in the way his eyes wouldn't.

It wasn't his business and he understood that, but his curiosity always seemed to get the best of him, no matter how hard he tried to keep it under control. So, finally giving in, Luffy climbed into Shanks' lap and leaned his head against his chest. "Who're you missing?" He asked softly, listening to the steady beating of Shanks' heart and focusing on the heat he radiated.

Shanks paused for a moment, bringing a hand to slowly run through Luffy's hair. "It's... A story for another time, Anchor. Too long for right now."

Humming, Luffy looked up to his face, an emotion Shanks couldn't understand hidden deep within the wide heterochromatic eyes. "The moon only jus' came up a bit ago, we have the night ahead of us, y'know." His voice was soft as he lowered his head once again, gazing out to the horizon.

"I guess you're right, kid." Shanks carefully leaned back so as to lay stretched out, face to the stars. "I... I knew your mom and aunt. Your aunt was like a mom to me while your mom was practically my big sister. Mine and Buggy's, I guess. Buggy was the other cabin boy on our ship – he has a devil fruit like you, so I'll definitely get ahold of him – and Rouge looked after us when your mom couldn't, and your mom defended us when we wouldn't defend ourselves. They were both spitfires, that's for sure.

"When captain – I saw him as a dad, honestly – when he was executed, we were left alone, me an' Buggy. We didn't know what happened to Rouge and Ileanna. We didn't know what happened to most of the crew, honestly. So now... I know that I can't see them again. Not until I go to meet Davy Jones. I just wonder if they're watching over our dumb little selves."

A tear slid from the corner of his eye but before he could wipe it away, Luffy's small hand had already gently done so. "They probably don't want us cryin' over them, but... But if you want to cry, I don't think they'll mind all that much." His voice was shaky and Shanks could tell he was holding back tears himself, so he pulled him closer to his chest, and there they laid; they cried in the company of each other, taking comfort in the fact that they weren't alone in their sorrow.

 

* * *

 

Benn woke to the sound of Yasopp bursting into his cabin, shocking him awake. "Luffy's not in bed!" Yasopp shouted, eyes frantic. Benn could only roll his eyes as he stretched and yawned.

"You check the galley?" He asked sleepily, blurry eyed and holding back a yawn as he stared at the sniper.

"No? Why would he be there!" Yasopp paced back and forth, nervously muttering to himself, ranting about how he was a bad father, how he should never have been put in charge of a child, of how Shanks was going to kill him. The moment he said his captain's name, though, he seemed to notice the absence of the redhead. "Where the hell is Shanks?" He questioned, looking around, a bewildered look on his face.

"He's in the galley with Luffy, at least he was when I heard them fighting over who got the first plate of food."

"...Oh."

 

* * *

 

Animalistic growling and booming laughter filled the air around the captain and the child as they fought over the food as it was brought out. Lucky Roo was having a field day watching the two, as he'd never seen Shanks get so competitive about anything except drinking; it was definitely a welcome change, as the whole crew worried for his health when he'd wake up so hungover that Benn would have to act as captain for a day or so.

Luffy was going absolutely batshit wild over the sheer amount of food that was placed before him, trying to claim it all for himself all the while shoving food into his face with his bare hands, utensils not even spared a glance. He would bite and scratch Shanks when an arm or hand came too close to his side, and would receive gentle shoves and smacks in retaliation from the pirate. They took turns yelling and laughing, each enjoying the competition.

When Shanks turned his attention to Yasopp and Benn standing in the doorway for a few moments, he lost an entire plate of food and yelled in fake offense, grabbing Luffy's cheeks and squishing them, making him almost spit out the food he had in his mouth. "You little _shit_!" Shanks hollered, moving one hand from his face and over to snatch Luffy's plate, dragging it over to his side of the table and quickly stuffed his face before Luffy could retaliate.

That earned a very loud screech from him and a punch to the side, which Shanks would never admit to it actually hurting him, before he grabbed more bacon from the towering batch before him and ripping into it like a starving beast.

Yasopp was speechless.

Benn was simply tired of their antics, honestly.

 

* * *

 

After they finished their chaotic breakfast, Shanks led Luffy to his little office and began dialing a number into the den den while Luffy sat on the edge of the desk, legs swinging back and forth. Shanks hummed lowly as it rang, then abruptly stopped when a voice on the other end picked up.

" _What the hell do you need, Shanks?"_

"How'd you know it was me?" He asked, a grin on his face. "But we have a bit of a..." Shanks glanced to the boy in front of him. "... Situation, involving a devil fruit user here."

" _One, you're the only one who can call me, and two, no, I am not getting involved with whatever mess you've gotten yourself into this time!"_

"But Buggy–"

"Oh! It's uncle Buggy? Hi uncle Buggy!"

" _Shanks, for the love of god, please tell me that isn't a kid."_

"Well –"

"I'm not a kid! I'm a big eight year old! I'm a big boy! My sparring partners all said so!"

" _No, nope, not dealing with this."_

"Buggy, the kid doesn't know how to control his powers an' I don't want the deck to just be a pile of ashes!"

"... _What_."

"Luffy has the ash ash fruit, and he only just ate it, so he doesn't know how to control it – his pops gave him to us to give to Garp–"

" _What_!"

"–And I refuse to send him there without a semblance of control over the powers that could easily burn down a forest!"

" _How did you end up in this situation?"_

"It's a long story, but I'll tell you when you get here."

_"Fine, fine, but you're feeding me and my crew!"_

"Deal!"


	8. where do we go - lindsey stirling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kindly angsty? give me shanks n buggy on good terms u cowards
> 
> as always, thank you for reading, I hope u enjoyed, n feel free to give ideas on how i could improve this !

A loud, echoing yell rushed over open water as a smaller ship docked beside the Red Force. Shanks strolled over to where Luffy was leaning halfway over the railing, just letting out long, excited hollers of greeting – well, _probably_ greeting, maybe he was just excited for more human company after two weeks on the ship with the same people.

He'd barely made it over to where the kid was before a hand flew up and pushed him backwards onto the deck, where he would have hit his head against the hard wood if Shanks hadn't moved quick enough. "You asshat!" Luffy shouted at the disembodied hand, rubbing his scraped elbow.

Soon enough, the other crew was boarding, and Luffy stared in wonder, anger forgotten, as a huge lion appeared, a white haired man riding its back. He let out a squeal and went running up to it, no fear to be seen even when it growled and brought up a paw to swat him across the deck. " ** _No_** , big boy! I'm a friend!" Luffy had laced the command at the beginning with a slight amount of haki, causing the lion to stop in its tracks and slowly bend down so it could be at eye level with him. He petted its nose and ruffled its ears while it let out a rumbling purr as its tamer just stared in horror while Shanks grinned widely, beaming in pride for his little adopted nephew.

"I like Richie! He's a sweetie! You got a good boy, mister Mohji!" Luffy exclaimed to the man on the lion's back.

The man, Mohji, sputtered for a minute, eyes widening as he jumps down to bend in front of Luffy. "How'd you know our names?" He questioned, eyes roaming the deck for a moment.

"Oh! The good boy told me! He really likes you! Says you take real good care of him! He doesn't like mister Cabbage, though. Says he's mean." Luffy pointed to the acrobat just a little ways away, not reacting to the look of shock and anger _(maybe embarrassment? Nah, mister Cabbage wouldn't be embarrassed, Richie says he isn't_ ) he wore as a blue-haired clown made his way upon the deck, making a beeline to Shanks.

Mohji, obviously uncomfortable, climbed back onto Richie's back and moved to the other side of the deck where they could keep an eye on Luffy from a distance, Cabaji following, picking a quiet fight with him. Shanks' loud laughter caught Luffy's attention and he decided to go see what was so funny, hopping over to him with a wide grin on his face.

The blue-haired clown looked down at him and back to Shanks, already looking as if he wanted to die. "So. _This_ is him? _Really_? He's so... _Small_!" He hissed, glaring. "I swear to god, if this is a just a joke to drag me over here, I'm going to beat your ass, Shanks!"

Oh. So that's who it is! "Uncle Booger!" Luffy yelled cheerfully, latching onto Buggy's leg, hugging it tightly and nuzzling against it. Within seconds, Buggy's face turned bright red and detached his leg from his body, making it run around in circles until he fell off face first onto the deck, skidding a few inches.

"My name is _Buggy_ , not _Booger_! Get it right!" Buggy yelled, face still beet red as he reattached his leg and straightened up to where his face was completely in Shanks' own. "I'm giving you one last chance to tell me that this is a prank before I beat this kid's ass into oblivion!"

Shanks just rolled his eyes and flicked Buggy's nose, making him flinch backwards, and gestured to Luffy.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me."

Luffy had only moved to sit up, tears glistening in his eyes as little bits of ash fell to the deck, leaving small burns in the wood. Blood dripped from his nose as he watched the pair of men, not showing any indication of being in pain, but looked as if he were a kicked puppy.

Looking to Shanks, Buggy couldn't make out any emotions in his eyes or on his face. He only nodded to the boy as if to say _'look what you did.'_

So, of course, he had to swallow his pride and walk over to the kid, patting his hair _(which was way too damn warm to be normal)_ and suppressing the urge to roll his eyes as he saw those warm, round eyes fill with hope. "Sorry, kid. Don't like physical contact." Buggy muttered it, but it seemed to fix the situation, as Luffy nodded and dried his tears, the ashes slowly thinning out to nothing.

Giving him a smile, Luffy studied his face. "Okay, sorry, uncle Bug!"

Buggy sighed but reluctantly accepted it, as it was far better than _'booger.'_

 

* * *

 

Reluctantly, Buggy settled into an arm chair that sat in a corner of the room, Shanks sitting on the edge of his bed. The cheerfulness that had been present in his expression before had all melted away. It was something Buggy had become accustomed to; Shanks hated to worry his crew (especially his husband – _love_ , blegh) so he'd put up a front before allowing himself to pull his walls down once they'd meet up. They'd been through hell and back several times over together and the bond from those experiences are something that few could _(should)_ have.

They sat in silence for a few moments as Shanks thought over his words, before just deciding that bluntness is always best. Usually best. Hopefully. "He's Ileanna's son." The words left his mouth as he made eye contact with Buggy, unsure of what kind of reaction he'd receive.

It was one he had somewhat expected, but it made his heart clench at the sight of how excited Buggy became. "Really? When will she be coming? Why'd she leave him here with you dumb bunch?" He looked like a boy again, excited to see her after one of her trips.

"Buggy..." Shanks started, voice soft. "Buggy, she was killed about three weeks ago in an accident on her husband's ship. The last thing she did was save Luffy by placing him in a barrel so he could possibly be rescued. It was just a coincidence that he showed up here."

That stopped him in his tracks, expression falling and hardened eyes becoming misty. "She's dead?" He breathed, settling back into the chair. "Is... That why you're taking him to live with a marine?"

Nodding slowly, Shanks looked to the floor, his heart heavier than it had ever been. "It was his father's decision... He apparently trusts the boy's grandfather to take care of him." A tear fell to the ground as he quickly wiped his eyes. "He's so _young_ , Buggy, yet he already knows how to control his Conquerer's and he's been cursed with a devil fruit; you can't tell me that Garp won't try to take advantage of that! And once he starts to get older, it's going to be even harder on him, because he's trans!" More tears began falling and his shoulders shook, breath coming fast, and he could only wrap his arms around himself because he couldn't bear to see his friend's face.

When he felt a weight beside him and an arm cautiously wrapping around him, he looked to see Buggy staring straight ahead, a tear trailing down his cheek. "You obviously haven't talked about these worries to anyone, you numbskull, so let 'em out now, and we can talk more once you're done, 'cause I've got a hell of a lot of questions. But they can wait for five minutes." Shanks nodded quickly and brought his hands up to his face, wiping his eyes and cheeks.

"I'm so _scared_ for him," Shanks' voice cracked, and he took a slow breath. "He has _so_ much ahead of him but his father's putting him into a real dangerous situation that will probably end with him gettin' himself killed, and I _can't_ let that happen – I _won't_ let that happen – but a pirate ship is no place for a child, and I just don't know what to do, because no option is good."

Humming in response, Buggy rubbed his hand up and down Shanks' back. "Well," he began, voice low, "maybe you should let the kid decide on what he wants. There's a few places on the island Garp stays at that he could live at safely if he'd want to."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Shanks mumbled, "thank you, Buggy."

 

* * *

 

Having calmed back down, Shanks leaned on Buggy's shoulder while the latter rested his cheek on the former's head. "So, who is Luffy's dad? 'Cause I'm gonna beat his ass if I ever meet him." Buggy's voice rumbled, quiet and rough.

It pulled a laugh from Shanks, causing him to lean up and look at his friend. "I'd like to see you take on his dad!" He smirked at the look of confusion and gentle anger on Buggy's face.

"What do you mean?" He hissed, anger becoming dominant in his eyes.

 _God_ , Shanks wished he could get a picture of him, honestly. "I don't think you or I could lay a finger on Dragon the Revolutionary, even if we tried!" His smirk turned to a full grin when the color fell from Buggy's face, eyes shimmering in surprise and his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

He only let out a shriek like a wounded goat and jumped to his feet in response. "No! _No_! You are _not_ telling me that that little kid is the top shithead's _son!_ You are _not_ telling me that big sis screwed the world's ugliest monster of a man!"

At that point, Shanks was cackling like a fool, smile upon his face, eyes shut in amusement. "She did, she did! She must've had the same taste in men as Rouge: big, powerful, and ugly!" He wheezed at his own words, and even Buggy let out a bark of laughter.

 

* * *

 

When they made their way back onto the top deck, the first thing they noticed was an absence of Luffy.

The second thing they noticed was the growling coming from a little hatch that led to a storage room where they kept the gold and such they stole from other pirates.

And, of course, the third thing they noticed was that no one was on the deck other than themselves, likely having went to the galley to eat or drink.

Shanks cringed as he looked to the hatch and quickly decided that the sooner he opens it, the sooner he can assess the situation, and the sooner he can avoid having the ship catch fire.

Wordlessly, he headed to it and threw it open, dropping down without a thought. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed two of Buggy's newest crew members pressed against the far wall, with a visibly angry Luffy between them and the stash.

It was strange to see the boy in such a manner; he was used to him crying or being overly cheerful, but he'd never seen him angry, protecting something he saw as important.

From where Shanks stood, he could see hot ashes flaking from Luffy's hands and arms and a fiery red glow emanating from his eyes as he watched the two, snarling like a wild dog and showing his teeth.

"Alright bud, what's going on?" Shanks' voice cut through the air like a knife in butter, and instantly, Luffy was up and the ashes began to melt back into his skin. He was still tense and looked ready for a fight, keeping the other pirates in his peripheral vision, but he wasn't snarling anymore. "You two, back up on deck, your captain will be waiting and all five of us will have a talk."

They warily edged around him and quickly made their way up the ladder while Shanks followed them, Luffy taking up the back. Buggy was standing with an eyebrow raised when they'd made it back to the deck, and Shanks casually sat down, Luffy still glaring, pieces of ash gently falling every now and then. "What did you two do?" Buggy growled, eyes narrowed, taking note of their guilty expressions.

"They were trying to take uncle Shanks' treasure!" Luffy spat, hands tightened into fists. "They got some before I could stop 'em!"

Shanks raised his eyebrows as he took in the sheer amount of rage Luffy was letting off just because of two idiots making a common mistake. Buggy rolled his eyes before detaching his hands and emptying their pockets, where some coins and jewelry fell out on to the wood with hard clatters.

A sigh escaped his lips and he flicked the two's noses. "You dumbasses, Shanks is an ally, and we don't steal from allies. You're both to clean our deck until you could eat off of it and do any chores the Red-Hairs ask of you as punishment – if this wasn't the usual thing that would happen when I brought new men to visit, I would have beaten both of your asses. Hell, I could have even made you have to babysit Luffy!"

Fear flashed across their faces as they began asking for forgiveness, Shanks contentedly leaning back onto the sun-warmed wood, hands behind his head. Luffy plopped down beside him, his legs crossed neatly and hands on his ankles.

Luffy's cheeks were still red but he seemed to calm down some once he was allowed to watch the men get punished, though he did wish that they'd gotten heavier consequences.

But that was okay; Shanks got his treasure back and he'd done well to keep them from getting away with what gives them the money to buy food, so he was fairly pleased with himself.

Buggy and Shanks seemed pleased as well, as much as they could be, at least, so it was all good.

He just didn't know why the two men backed down so quickly, but hey, he's not going to complain.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! <3
> 
> hmu on my tumblr @supurrnova !!


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